NOAA Vision and Mission Goals Pedro J. Restrepo, Ph.D., P.E. Senior Scientist, Office of Hydrologic Development NOAA/NWS First Q2 Workshop (Q2 - "Next Generation QPE") June 28, 2005 Source: 2005 AGU Town Hall presentation by Rick Rosen, Randy Dole and Pedro Restrepo

2 NOAA’s Strategic Plan 2005 – 2010 NOAA’s Vision: An informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions

3 Impacts from population growth, globalization, and associated trends: – – Increasing pollution resulting from work, transportation, and recreation – – Increasing releases of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases – – Increasing potential for accidental or purposeful releases of biological, chemical, or radioactive toxins into the environment – – Growing economic significance of longer-term climate predictions for agriculture, manufacturing 20-Year Research Vision: Societal Needs and NOAA in the 21st Century

4 20-Year Research Vision: Technology and NOAA in the 21 st Century Sensors - Rugged and low cost Platforms - Mobile, unmanned aerial and autonomous undersea vehicles Information technology - Higher computer processing speed ; better data management and analysis tools Telecommunications - Global networks will link modeling centers with service providers and users These technologies will be exploited in developing an integrated Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) and holistic, high resolution Earth system models

5 NOAA Products and Services in 2025 Dramatic Improvements in Forecasting Extreme Events National Suite of Air Quality Services Ocean Exploration for Humankind Highly Skillful Seasonal to Decadal Climate Predictions Understanding of Physical, Chemical, Biological, Social Ecosystem Interactions National Suite of Water Resources Services

6 5-Year Research Plan Focuses primarily on short- and mid-term research needed to realize the 20-year Research Vision Identifies research that will support the NOAA Strategic Plan and the outcomes and performance objectives for each of NOAA’s Mission Goals Addresses analysis and testing needed to transition research to applications Helps external stakeholders identify opportunities for participation and collaboration with NOAA

7 5-Year Research Plan: Framing NOAA’s Research Vision A key direction for research in NOAA will be Earth System Modeling and the observational systems and networks needed to support it

8 Mechanisms include: – –Grants to individual scientists – –Cooperative Institutes – – National Sea Grant College Program Prior to the start of each fiscal year, a notice of the availability of grant funds for the upcoming fiscal year is announced via a Federal Register notice and at 5-Year Research Plan: Engaging Our Research Partners

9 NOAA’s Mission Goals Protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management Understand climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan and respond Serve society’s needs for weather and water information Support the nation’s commerce with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation

10 Weather & Water Mission Goal Research Activities and Themes Improve and extend weather forecasts and warning accuracy Provide information to air quality decision makers and establish and improve a national air quality forecast capability Improve water resources forecasting capabilities Improve NOAA’s understanding and forecast capability in coasts, estuaries, and oceans

11 Improve Water Resources Forecasting Capabilities 5-year Research Plan Activities – –Describe water resource allocations and socio-economic impact – –Improve radar estimates of precipitation; combine with satellite data and ground observations – –Develop improved (distributed, physically-based) rainfall runoff models – –Develop coupled weather, climate, and rainfall runoff models – –Describe the effects of climate phenomena on the hydrologic cycle – –Develop the Community Hydrologic Prediction System (CHPS) – –With partners, develop fresh-water quality forecasting models Linkages to the 20-Year Research Vision – –New soil moisture forecasting models for agricultural applications and debris-flow warnings Weather & Water Mission Goal Research Activities and Themes

12 NOAA’s Water Research Objectives: Integrated* Products & Services NOAA Federal Agencies Tribal Agencies State Agencies Local Agencies Academia Private Sector High-resolution Gridded Water Resources Product Suite Partners Applications Drought Mitigation Flood Potential Flood Management Water Allocation Transportation Emergency Management Agriculture Debris Flows Ecosystems Management Research Snowpack Properties Precipitation Soil Moisture Evaporation Groundwater River Flow Surface Storage Runoff Water Quality *Seamless transition from inland to coast

13 Algorithm Services Data Services Control Services Display Services Security Services Community Hydrologic Prediction System Federal agencies State, regional, and local cooperators Universities Private sector International organizations River Stage & Flow Surface Water Storage Water Supply Availability Flood Potential Water Quality Soil Moisture Runoff Snow Water Equivalent Precipitation Evapotranspiration Near- Surface Deep Point Information (Stations, Grid Cells) Vector Information (River Segments) Hydrology XML Consortium

14 Role of Precipitation Precipitation Soil Moisture Evaporation Groundwater River Flow Surface Storage Snowpack Properties Runoff Models Soil Moisture Evaporation Groundwater River Flow Surface Storage Snowpack Properties Runoff Water Quality Debris Flows Elevation Data Land Use Soils Etc.

15 Role of Precipitation Precipitation Soil Moisture Evaporation Groundwater River Flow Surface Storage Snowpack Properties Runoff Models Soil Moisture Evaporation Groundwater River Flow Surface Storage Snowpack Properties Runoff Water Quality Debris Flows Elevation Data Land Use Soils Etc.